England Legend Asks Joe Root To Step Down As Captain

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott has opined Joe Root should give up England captaincy if the hosts lose the ongoing Ashes Test in Leeds. England are pretty much on the backfoot in the game and need nothing less than a miracle to save the test let alone winning it. If Australia win it, they will retain the Ashes.

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Australia have not won or drawn an Ashes series in England since 2002 but are well on their way to break that run. A defeat in the ongoing game will see Root suffer his sixth defeat in eight Ashes Tests as England captain.

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Starting from November 2017, Root has overseen four Ashes defeats in Australia, and one in England, at Edgbaston in the 2019 series opener. The margin of defeats have also been very alarming. Two came by an innings, one came by ten wickets, and the other two came by 120 and 251 runs respectively.

“He’s got to start by winning a Test against Australia – he’s had seven and not won one,” Boycott told BBC’s Test Match Special podcast. “And if you can’t win this one after winning the toss, you won’t get a better pitch to bowl on: overcast, murky, terrible day, which is perfect for Headingley, and then the sun comes out.

“Even if you say both teams are equal, you have to win this one. If you don’t win this, you might as well give up the job. Their [Australia’s] best batsman [Steve Smith] isn’t playing as well. You couldn’t ask for anything more, could you?,” he added.

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Under Root’s captaincy in two years, England have already lost 13 Tests. He now ranks among the top five England captains to have been in charge of the most number of defeats. His poor batting as a captain has only made things worse for him. As captain, Root’s average of 40.41 is well below his overall career average of 48. His performance in the ongoing series is also worse.